Why Direct Mail Campaigns Are Critical For Account-Based Marketing Success
May 16, 2022
This article will discuss why direct mail marketing is so important for ABM's success and how to create an effective campaign. We'll also share some tips on measuring the success of your direct mail marketing campaigns.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a critical strategy for today's business world. ABM is focused on target accounts and treating them as individuals rather than a generalized market. While there are many different ways to execute an ABM strategy, direct mail campaigns are one of the most under-looked yet essential tools businesses can use.
This article will discuss why direct mail marketing is so important for ABM's success and how to create an effective campaign. We'll also share some tips on measuring the success of your direct mail marketing campaigns.
Adding Direct Mail Marketing
Did you know that direct mail marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers? Despite the rise of digital marketing, direct mail still has an average response rate of 3.4%, compared to just 0.6% for email campaigns.
If you're looking to drive results for your ABM strategy, then direct mail should be a key part of your plan. Here are four reasons why direct mail is so important for ABM's success.
Direct mail reaches a larger audience than email.
Direct mail is more personal than email.
Direct mail generates better response rates than email.
Direct mail provides more opportunities for engagement than email.
An example of a targeted direct mail campaign.
What is direct mail marketing?
Physical Mail
Direct mail marketing is a campaign tactic that involves sending physical mail pieces to customers and prospects. It's used to promote a wide variety of products and services, and it is often used in conjunction with other marketing channels, such as email marketing and content marketing.
Direct mail marketing can effectively reach a target audience, but creating a well-designed direct mail piece that will grab attention and generate results requires knowing how to do it well.
Works well with ABM
The most successful direct mail campaigns are part of an ABM strategy. ABM is a type of B2B marketing that focuses on targeting a key list of fixed accounts with personalized messages and customized content.
It also targets individual roles within those accounts. The aim is to create a personalized and tailored approach that gets attention by resonating with the decision-makers at companies more likely to do business with you.
When direct mail is used as part of an ABM strategy, it can be an extremely effective way to get that attention and generate new leads, and close deals.
The benefits of direct mail marketing for account-based marketing
Although direct mail marketing may seem like a thing of the past, it is a less saturated but very effective marketing strategy for b2b marketers. Direct mail can be a great way to generate leads and reach your ideal buyers.
Attention
When you consider the ratio of emails received per day to the number of physical mail pieces, you begin to see that direct mail, when done right, is still very effective at reaching decision-makers.
Personalization
One of the benefits of direct mail is that it allows you to personalize your message. For example, you can include specific information about your product or service that would be relevant to your ideal customer.
Targeting
Additionally, direct mail is a great way to reach a specific target list, which is the definition of ABM. And again, direct mail gets more attention than digital, especially if you target high-level decision-makers.
Direct mail is an excellent complement to ABM strategies. By sending direct mail to specific accounts, you can further customize your message and increase your chances of generating conversions.
How to create a successful direct mail marketing campaign
There are some key factors to keep in mind when creating a successful direct mail campaign to ensure its success.
Target the right audience with your campaign.
This means segmenting your list by target, account, or persona and customizing your messaging to speak to each segment's specific needs and pain points.
Create clear, compelling copy
You need to grab immediate attention and inspire action. Your offer needs to be irresistible - something that your target market just can't say no to.
As you describe what you do, avoid talking about features. Instead, focus on the results your target audience can expect if they engage with your company.
Use Physical Gifts
The truth is that open and engagement rates will soar if you add something fun and exciting for the prospect to open. They also come branded, which helps potential buyers remember you over time.
Examples include:
Gourmet specialty food, coffee, candy, or wine
Clothing/shirts/bags/totes
Glasses/mugs
Decorative items like plants or cacti
Popular business, industry, or personal growth books or magazines
Gift cards
Combine any of the above into a swag basket
Bonus points if you can send items that are recycled or have sustainability (as in the example below).
This is a campaign we run for Novisto. We planted one tree for each box sent during their campaign, in line with their environmental and sustainability focus.
Offer Incentives
Gifts are nice for getting attention, but you can also add incentives to shift that attention online. Some ideas include gift cards, product discounts, or free passes to events.
Include a clear call-to-action
Recipients need to understand exactly what they need to do to take advantage of your offer. This tells your prospect what you want them to do next and makes it easy to take the next step.
There are a few things to keep in mind when crafting your call to action. First, make it specific and direct.
Second, use strong language that inspires action. And third, make it easy for the reader to follow through by providing a clear path.
Your goal should be to get recipients to take action, whether by visiting your website, scheduling a consultation, attending an event, or booking a demo.
How to measure your direct mail campaigns
How do you know if your direct mail campaign is successful? You can use a few key metrics to measure your direct mail campaign.
Response Rate
This is the number of people who respond to your direct mail campaign divided by the total number of people who received it. A good response rate for a direct mail campaign is between 1-3%.
Track conversions by adding a unique URL to the mail piece like www.mycompany.com/gift-card. If you've offered an incentive, it motivates people to type the entire URL.
You can also install website visitor tracking software on your site to tell you which companies visited and then match that to your direct mail campaign.
Conversion Rate
Conversion is the number of people who convert from leads to customers divided by the number of people who received your direct mail offer. A good conversion rate for a direct mail campaign is between 5-10%.
ROI (return on investment) or ROAS (return on ad spend
This is the total revenue generated from your direct mail campaign divided by the total cost of your direct mail campaign. A good ROI for a direct mail campaign is between 10-20%.
By measuring these key metrics, you can get a good idea of how successful your direct mail campaign has been.
The future of direct mail marketing
Because direct mail campaigns can be expensive and difficult to measure. As a result, many companies are looking for ways to make their direct mail campaigns more efficient and effective.
Better Data
One way to do this is to use data-driven direct mail. Data-driven direct mail uses data about potential customers to create highly personalized messages that are more likely to generate a response. This approach can be very effective, but it requires a significant investment in data gathering and analysis.
Automation and Services
Another way to improve the efficiency of direct mail campaigns is to use technology to automate the process or have an agency expert execute it for you. There are a variety of SaaS platforms and agencies that can help to streamline the direct mail process, making it easier and faster to execute.
Attribution
More sophisticated attribution methods can help improve your conversion and ROI metrics. There are both paid and free tools available. For example, Google Analytics recently upgraded its free product with more sophisticated attribution models so you can track the effectiveness of direct-to-digital buyer flows. Now you can see the digital pathways leading your direct mail respondents to take desirable actions and then reinforce your marketing efforts based on that data.
Run a Direct Mail Campaign
Direct mail is still a powerful marketing program if you're looking for a more personal touch or if your target market is harder to reach with digital campaigns. And don't forget, as with all marketing efforts, it's important to set campaign goals and measure your success against them. So let us help you get started! We have extensive experience using direct mail for ABM targets that get revenue results.
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